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As would be expected from so great a number of individuals
bearing the name, however spelled, there were many families of
the name who were numbered among the land owning class, both
yeomen and gentry, and a great many individuals have attained
prominence. It is not within the scope of this work to attempt
to present a catalogue of such instances, but it may serve some
useful purpose to describe the coats of arms borne by some of
these families. Coat armor is inherited. The right to use any
particular coat of arms depends upon proof of descent from some
person of the same name who was a gentleman of coat armor,
or as he is described, an armiger. With the probable exception
of Lt. Joshua Hewes, none of the emigrants to America bearing
the name is known to have ever claimed the right to use coat
armor. 2 This does not prove that they may not have been en-
titled to do so. They may have been entitled to coat armor, yet
ignorant of that right ; or knowing it, thought that their station
in life did not warrant its display. In the days of the first set-
tlement there was little opportunity, unless a man held official

position, to make use of a coat of arms. The majority of persons
who are entitled to use coat armor make no advertisement of that
fact, and the incentive to boast of such right did not exist in New
England in the seventeenth century except among a very small
class, chiefly officials or wealthy merchants.

2 Joshua Hewes used a seal, the device of which is not distinguishable, leav-
ing in doubt whether it showed a merchant's mark or heraldic device.

ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE NAME 5

It has already been mentioned that the name Hugh gave rise
to family names among other Tuetonic people than the English.
London was the home of many natives of Germany, Holland and
parts of France. The publications of the Huguenot Society of
London contain thousands of names of such aliens, not all of whom
were Huguenots. From these lists of strangers in London
and from the registers of the Dutch, French and Walloon churches
it appears that in London prior to 1630, for a century, there were
many persons of alien origin bearing the name Hewes, Hughes,
etc., most of whom may be assumed to have founded families.
The examination of similar records for parts of Kent, Norfolk,
and the country between, also largely favored by emigration from
adjacent parts of the continent, do not show so many occurrences
of the name. As would be expected, the spelling of the name
takes somewhat different variations from the changes noticed in
the purely English counties. It is also noteworthy that the
spelling Hewes or Hues and Huse is more prevalent than the
form Hughes or Hugues, although the baptismal name in these
lists is generally rendered Hugh.
From 1600 to 1639 the following names occur on the registers of

the French Church in Threadneedle Street:

Pierre Heu, Elizabeth Heues, Jean Heuse, Elizabeth Hue, Es-
tienne Hue, Isaac Hue, Marie " femme de Pierre " Hue, Pierre
Huee, Jean Hu, Jeanne " femme de " Jean Hu, Madelaine Hu,
Catherine Huge, Francois Huge, Marie wife of Francois Huge.
These last were entered by one conversant with the French lan-
guage, and may be taken as representing the actual French name
of the bearers.

The parish registers of the English churches, of date prior to
1600, give all forms of the name, Hewes, Hew, Hue, Huse, Hughes,
Hewghs, etc.

In the United States, the name Hewes is confined almost entirely
to the New England and New Jersey families of that name. The
many Pennsylvania, Virginia and Carolina families, and those of
Maryland and New York, have usually, if not always, spelled their
name Hughes or Hugh, and in many instances are known to have
been of Welsh and Irish stock.

The most prominent Welsh families and some English families
of the name claim descent from one Gwaithvoyde, lord of Powis,
who was son of Gwryde, prince of Cardigan, by Maruith, daugh-

6 ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE NAME

ter of Ynes, King of Gwent, and from Blethyn ap Cynyn, a prince
of Powis. Hwfa ap Cynddela, Lord of Llys Llifon in Wales, of
the twelfth century, is also claimed by certain English families
as their progenitor. The curious in such matters of pedigree are
referred to various standard English genealogical collections,
especially those edited by Burke, for further particulars.

The following families of the name appear in the Heraldic
Visitations :

Visitation of London, 1568. James Hewes, citizen and grocer
of London, bore arms : Argent, on a bend sable three fishes naiant
of the field, fins and tails or, in chief a mullet gules. Crest: An
elephant's head couped azure bezante, eared and crowned argent,
charged with a mullet or. He was the third son of John Hewes
of Donyvorde in Somersetshire, gentleman, by Grace Waldron
his wife, and had elder brothers William and Roger. He was
twice married, the first time to Margaret, daughter of Robert
Bowser, who was the mother of his children, Rowland, Geffrey,
Mary and Martha. The pedigree shows but these three genera-
tions.

Visitation of Oxfordshire, 163 4-. Michaell Hughes of Middle-
ton-Stoney, bore arms: Gules, on a bend between two demi-lions
rampant, three fleurs-de-lis sable. Crest: A heron argent, billed
gules. At the time of the visitation he had a son Michaell aged
about two years. Of Michaell Hughes the record states only that
he was son of John Hughes, "descended from the Hughes of
Carnarvanshire," by Julian Daniels his wife, and that he married
Elizabeth daughter of Dr. Ashworth and widow of Thomas
Standard. According to Berry's Kentish genealogies the Hughes
of Middleton-Stoney were descended from William Hughes of
Holtcastle in Cheshire, elder son of William Hughes of Mon-
mouth, whose second son, Richard Hughes, of London, married,
probably about 1580-90, Elizabeth daughter of Thomas Spencer
of London-Stone, Kent, and had a son Andrew. This Andrew
died in 1628, being called of Ringleton, Woodnesbro', leaving a
son Leonard, who died in 1637.

Visitation of Somersetshire, 1623. Thomas Hughes, knight, of
Wells, who had married Erancisca daughter of Nicholas Mynne
of county Surrey, and by her had had Thomas aged 21 at the
time of the visitation, James, aged 17, Jane, aged 22, Elizabeth,
aged 20, and Catherine, aged 18; bore arms: (1) Azure, a lion

ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE NAME 7

rampant or (for Morven, son of Morgenat), (2) Or, a lion ram-
pant sable, (3) Azure, three fluers-de-lis or (for Ynes, king of
Gwent), (4) Azure, a fesse or between three horses' heads erased
argent (for Rice ap Marcham), (6) Sable, a chevron erminois
between three goats' heads erased or (for Jerworth). This honor-
able knight claimed descent in the male line from Gwaithvoyde,
son of Gwryde and Moruith, prince of Cardigan, by Maruith
daughter and co-heir of Ynes, king of Gwent, as follows (ascend-
ing) ; Thomas Hughes (1623) being son of Thomas Hughes, who
was son of Hugh son of John ap Jankin, who was son of Alyn ap
Griffith ap Howell ap Itholl Goch ap Madoc ap Llewelyn, ap
Ithel. Each " ap " indicating a generation. This last named,
Ithel is styled " sonne of Hilin," who was son of Enmith son of
Morien son of Morgenat son of Elistan who was son of the above
mentioned Gwaithvoyd. Allowing thirty years to a generation,
this would make Gwaithvoyd flourish about the year 1100.

Visitation of Shropshire, 1623. Thomas Hughes of Stretton
bore arms : Azure, three cranes' heads erased argent. His
great grandfather is styled John Hughes son of Hugh Higgins,
whose grandfather was John Higgins of Church Stretton.

Visitation of Norfolk, (1563, 1589, 1613). The family of
Sybthorpe claimed descent from one Thomas Sybthorpe alias
Huse of St. Albans, Herts. His son, Albon Sybthorpe of Knap-
ton, had a son John Sybthorpe whose eldest son is styled Wil-
liam Husse alias Sybthorpe.

There are also said to be pedigrees in one of the Berkshire
visitations (House of Albrighton), in the visitation of Wiltshire
for 16&3 (Hews of Bromham), and in a visitation of Yorkshire
(Hugh of Llanrayer).

Other families of equal consequence with those named in the
visitations are mentioned in several collections of pedigrees, and
a great many persons of the name used coat armor. In Burke's
General Armory will be found described no less than 33 coats
ascribed to this name in its varied spellings. Some of these
are of quite recent origin, and many bear the lion as a principal
charge. There are also several Irish families of armorial rank.
It is interesting to note that a family of Hewes was settled at
Maidstone in Kent as early as 1700, and that a century and a
half later a family of Heugh, of Holmwood Park, bore arms:
Azure, a fess between three arrows paleways points downward or,

Altogether there is a considerable variety in the shields de-
scribed.

JOHN HEWES OF ROYSTON

AND

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE FOOTE FAMILY

JOHN HEWES OF ROYSTON

AND

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE FOOTE FAMILY

What knowledge we have concerning the parentage and an-
cestry of Joshua Hewes is due to the discovery by Mr. Henry
F. Waters of the will of John Hewes of Royston, and of several
wills of the Foote family. Mr. Waters communicated abstracts
of these wills to the New England Historical and Genealogical
Register, which were later reprinted in the two volumes of
" Waters' Genealogical Gleanings in England."

JOHN HEWES of Royston, Herts., chandler, made his will

20 June, the 19th year of the reign of King James. He ap-
pointed his wife, Mary, sole executrix, and nominated his brother,
Thomas Hewes, and brother-in-law, Joseph Foote, as supervisors
and overseers. His legacies to his sons were made payable at
their reaching their twenty-fourth year. Those to the daugh-
ters at their twenty-first year. It is probable that none of the
children was born earlier than 1603. It is also evident that
the eldest child was born not long after that date. The legacies
were as follows : to Jonathan, forty pounds ; to Joshua, thirty
pounds ; to the daughters, Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, Hester, Lidia,
Phebe, and Anne, each twenty pounds. The will was proved

21 Aug., 1621, and is recorded in register Dale, quire 87, Pre-
rogative Court of Canterbury at London.

Royston is a village in the extreme northeastern corner of
Hertfordshire, on the border of Cambridgeshire, and is on the
main road from Hertford to Cambridge, somewhat nearer the
latter than the former place. It is about forty miles north of
London. Chauncey says of Royston that the town lies in five
parishes, two-thirds of the town being within the parishes of
Therfield and Barkway in Hertfordshire, the remainder lying
in the parishes of Melbourn, Kneesworth and Bassingbourn in
Cambridgeshire. The church of Royston is of the diocese of
London.

9

10 JOHN HEWES OF ROYSTON

It is not thought that the paternal ancestors of Joshua Hewes
had lived in Royston until his father settled in that place, per-
haps having obtained property there through his marriage with
Mary Foote which took place at Shalford in Essex, 14* Feb., 1602.

Shalford registers commence in 1558. The name Hewes does
not appear upon them, except the mention of John Hewes' mar-
riage, between the years 1558 and 1618. The following entries
include all pertaining to the family of Foote:
1602 John Hewes and Mary Foote weare married together the
xiiij th daye of Feabruarye, anno predicto.

baptised the xviij day of August, anno predicto.
1618 Elizabeth Foote, daughter of Joseph and Anne Foote was
baptised the seaventh daye of Marche, anno predicto.

Shalford is a parish in the northern part of Essex, a little north
of Braintree, between Bocking and Wethersfield.

The Wethersfield registers do not commence until 1647. Bock-
ing registers, printed by the generosity of Mr. J. J. Goodwin of
Hartford, Conn., cover the period of 1561 to 1605 for baptisms,
1593 to 1639 for marriages, and 1558 to 1628 for burials. But
there is an unfortunate hiatus of about ten years in the record of
baptisms between 1570 and 1580.

At Bocking there was family of Hewes, the earliest entry being
the baptism of Agnes Hewes, 24 Feb., 1565-6. Later entries are
as follows :

Johanna, daughter of Roger Hewes, baptized 22 Feb., 1567-8.

George, son of Roger Hewes, baptized 26 Nov., 1570.

JOHN HEWES OF ROYSTON 11

Richard, son of Roger Hewes, buried 3 June, 1577.

John, son of Roger Hewes, baptized 9 June, 1583.

Agnes Hewes, married William Hull, 2 Dec, 1593.

Margeria Hewes married James Freth, 20 July, 1600.

Margaretta Hewes married James Lenwood, 29 March, 1608.

Agnes, wife of Roger Hewes, buried 26 July, 1608.

Roger Hewes buried 20 Oct., 1611.

At Toppesfield, a parish a few miles north of Shalford, there
lived a John Hewes whose wife, Margaret, was buried 16 Feb.,
1597-8. This John was probably the same as the John named as
father of the following:

Elizabeth, baptized 26 May, 1560.

Anne, baptized 10 Feb., 1562.

Francis, baptized 28 July, 1565.

It is known that John Hewes of Royston had a brother, Thomas,
who survived him. In the ship money returns of 1636, for Essex,
four Thomas Hewes are mentioned, of Goldhanger, of Paglesham,
of Fambridge, 1 and of Headingham Castle. The last named place
is close by Shalford.

Mary (Foote) Hewes is mentioned in the will of her father
Robert Foote of Shalford, Essex, yeoman, whose will dated 27
Jan., 1608, was proved the 15 Feb. following. Robert Foote
gave to his wife, Joan, during her life, " all such yearly rent as
to me is reserved out of my lease of certain tenements which I
hold for divers years yet enduring by the grant of Sir Robert
Chester, knight, and lying and being in the town of Royston."
He gave legacies to several children, servants and friends, and
the residue of his estate to all his children, specifying " if it
happen my daughter, Mary Hewes, to be departed then her part
to be paid to her children." He made his son Robert sole exec-
utor; his brother John Foote of London, grocer, and son-in-law
John Hewes of Royston supervisors. (P. C. C, Dorset, 21.)
Elizabeth Brooke of London, widow, made her will 18 June, 1599,
which was proved 28 July, following. She stipulated that the
Company of Leathersellers should accompany her corpse to the
church, and that she be buried in the chancel of the church of

i Fambridge is within ten miles of Southminster. In 1609, a fine was
passed between William Hewes, Sr., and John Heughes alias Hewes and
Lettice his wife concerning lands there. [Feet of Fines, 7 James.]

12 JOHN HEWES OF ROYSTON

St. Leonard nigh East Cheap. Among other legacies was one
to her daughter Joane Foote. To Joane's daughter, Mary Foote,
she gave " one gilt ale pot with two ears, to be delivered unto her
father or mother for her use." Her will is a long and interest-
ing one, and shows that her daughter Margaret married John,
brother of Robert Foote. It is recorded in register Kidd, quire
65.

The Footes were a well-to-do family. Reference to the pedi-
gree will show many of their intermarriages, and prominent mem-
bers. It was in this circle of relatives that Joshua Hewes grew
up. He thus was connected with a family which had much to
do with New England.

In constructing the outline pedigree presented herewith, use
has been made of the several wills printed in Waters' Gleanings.
Mr. Waters found in the British Museum a manuscript (Addi-
tional Ms. 5533, fo. 99) which contained some account of the
Foote family, the origin of which is ascribed to one Robert Foote
of Royston " descended out of Lincolnshire," who was father of
John Foote who married Margaret Brooke and of Robert Foote
who married Joan Brooke. Joshua Foote who came to New Eng-
land and died at Providence, was Joshua Hewes' uncle. Joshua
Foote's brother, Robert Foote of London, married Elizabeth
Miles, widow of Benjamin Miles, and her daughter Elizabeth
Miles, who was Robert Foote's step-daughter, married William
Goddard of Watertown, Mass. She was sister to Rev. Joseph
Miles, who died in Redriff, Surrey, in 1661.

Edward Goddard, born 1675; died 1754, of Framingham,
Mass., left a statement concerning his ancestry. He said : " My
mother's father's name was Benjamin Miles; he died when she
was young, left but two children, viz.: herself and one brother
named Joseph, who was educated for and afterward settled in
the work of the ministry at a place called Red-riff, which is a
border of the city of London. My grandmother Miles had a
second husband, one Mr. Foot, a worthy and religious merchant
of London, and cousin german to her former husband: had an-
other Roberts, educated a merchant. He was a great

benefactor to my mother during her life: sent tokens of his love
yearly to us who were her children; after her decease at his
death, left a legacy of £4*00 sterling, to be divided among us.

CONNECTIONS OF LT. JO

Leon-
)9. See

Shalford, Essex. Will 160S-9. =
Mary Hewes. Son-in-law John
Brother John Foote of Lon-
of Wethersfield, Essex. Had
on.

The substance of his estate he left to his wife, and to a worthy
kinsman descended from the family of the Foots, viz. : Mr. Sam-
uel Lambert, who approved himself only a just and honest man
to us all, but a great benefactor to me."

Concerning his father, William Goddard, coming to New Eng-
land, he relates : " His mother-in-law, Mrs. Foot, in her widow-
hood, lent £100 sterling to a brother of hers in New England,
who for her security mortgaged his house and lands, but though
he lived many years afterward, yet paid neither principal nor
interest. Consequently, at his death, his mother gave him the
debt, and he coming over for it in 1665 found nothing to be had,
excepting the housing and lands mortgaged."

Another New England connection, which could not but have
been helpful to Joshua Hewes, was the following. Sarah Foote,
daughter of Sir Thomas Foote, Lord Mayor of London, there-
fore a second cousin on both father's and mother's side to Joshua
Hewes, married Sir John Lewis, who was born in 1615, and who
gained a great fortune in the East Indian trade. Sir John
Lewis had a sister, Isabella, who married Nathaniel Newdigate,
born 1627, who had formerly lived in New England, and whose
son Nathaniel settled in Rhode Island. Nathaniel Newdigate,
had the following sisters living and married in New England:
Sarah, who died 1692, wife of Capt. Peter Oliver ; Hannah, who
died 1684, wife of Simon Lynde, and mother of the Chief Jus-
tice; Elizabeth, who was twice married, (1) to Rev. John Oliver,
(2) to Edward Jackson of Cambridge. These were all promi-
nent people in and about Boston.

Sir Thomas Foote was own cousin to Mary Hewes, the mother
of Joshua Hewes. Sir Thomas was sheriff of London in 1645,
and Lord Mayor in 1649, and was made a baronet in 1660.
Arthur Onslow, speaker of the House of Commons, left a manu-
script containing his recollections (see Historical Mss. Commis-
sion 14, App. 9, 458) in which he speaks of Sir Thomas Foote
as a very eminent person in the City of London, of some note
in parliament, and a member of one of their councils of state,
and that he gave a great fortune to his daughter who married
the writer's grandfather.

Sir Thomas Foote was granted a coat of arms in 1646, as fol-
lows: Argent, a chevron sable, in dexter chief a trefoil of the

14 JOHN HE WES OF ROYSTON

second, on the chevron a crescent for a difference. Crest: A
cubit arm erect proper, hand holding a trefoil sable, on the arm
a crescent of the last for a difference (Stow Ms. 703, in British
Museum).

It is possible that Mary widow of John Hewes married a
second time, as undoubtedly she was a comparatively young
woman at her husband's death, possibly 40 years of age. Two
at least of her daughters came to New England ; Phebe, who mar-
ried Richard Gorde, and Elizabeth, who married Ralph Hemen-
way. Traces of the other children have been lost. The elder
son, Jonathan, was probably educated, like his brother Joshua,
to be a merchant, and remained in London. Research has as
yet yielded no definite results concerning the ancestry of John
Hewes, or of the history of his descendants, except of those who
came to New England.

ELIZABETH HEWES, daughter of John Hewes of Roys-
ton, died in Roxbury, New England, 2 Feb., 1685-6, aet. 82, and
was buried the following day. She married at Roxbury, 5 July,
1634, Ralph Hemenway, who was a member of Roxbury church
in 1633. He was admitted a freeman, 3 Sept., 1634, and was
active in town affairs. He died 1 June, 1678, leaving a will
dated 4 May, 1677, proved 11 July, 1678. He gave to wife
Elizabeth his whole estate, during her life, but which was to
remain in the hands of his son John, to improve for her. After
her death, Samuel, another son, was to have 20 shillings, " and
because I give him no more is because I look upon myself indebted
to my son John, who hath taken care of me and my wife in our
age, and knowing God hath dwelt bountifully with Samuel, I de-
sire him to accept my love in the legacy." To son Joshua he
gave land in the upper Calves pasture on the way to Boston.
Son John he gave all other lands and estate, except £8 to daughter
Elizabeth Holbrook, and £12 to daughter Ruth. Son John
and friend Samuel Williams were nominated as executors
(Suffolk probate, 6:239-360).

In this will he describes himself as " aged." His estate in-
ventoried £170-19-6, and consisted of a house, orchard and home
lot, 65 acres land in several parcells, all valued at £150 (Suf-
folk Probate, 12; 213).

For some account of certain branches of this family, see " A
Genealogical Record of One Branch of the Hemenway Family,
1634-1880," by Rev. Asa Hemenway.

PHEBE HEWES, daughter of John Hewes of Royston, came
to New England, probably with her brother Joshua Hewes, and
was at Roxbury, where she married 30 Nov., 1639, Richard
Gorde of Roxbury, who came to New England, in April, 1635,
in the Elizabeth and Ann, aged seventeen. He was admitted a
freeman 29 May, 1644, and died 27 Sept., 1683, leaving a will
dated 18 Sept. of that year, by which he left his entire estate
to his son Joseph who was to pay small legacies to his sisters,
Phoebe, wife of Thomas Andrews, and Lydia, wife of Joseph
Twitchell. He requested his " loving friend John Gore " to
be overseer. John Gore and Abraham How, Jr., were witnesses
to the will, which was proved 31 Oct., 1681. According to the